Lucian’s eyes were wide with excitement and fascination, a chuckle escaping him as he asked, “How did you do it?” But her response caught him off guard.
Lucian was amazed as he thought to himself: Max had rewarded Lucian for his perfect hacker skills. It’s a dream for anyone to bypass him and defeat him, but somehow, she managed to do it.
“Do I know you?” Celestia asked, a playful smile on her face.
“Of course, she wouldn’t tell him that she had regressed back in time, or that it was Lucian’s own notes she had left behind that helped her defeat him. She couldn’t reveal that, not just because of the world’s restrictions time would stop again but even if there were no restrictions, she still wouldn’t have told him. She thought to herself, keeping the secret.”
Lucian nearly fell out of his chair, a sigh escaping him. His mind raced, trying to process what was happening.
She’s taking revenge, Lucian thought to himself, making a mental note not to get on her bad side.
“Okay, okay, you win. I’m sorry for acting like that. I was just trying to hide that I didn’t know you, but that’s part of the hacker code, you know? No one should reveal their identity.”
“I was just following the rules to be an ideal hacker,” Lucian added, coughing awkwardly, trying to defuse the tension.
“Following the rules and you are hacker?” Celestia chuckled, unimpressed. “Tsk, tsk.”
“Okay, okay, enough. I already apologized. But at least tell me how you did it! It’s honestly shocking. You’ve been trying to reclaim your position for the last 7 or 8 years, but you were nowhere close. Then, out of nowhere, you pull this off… It’s almost magical!” Lucian’s eyes sparkled with fascination.
“Because I’m better than you,” Celestia replied, a proud smile spreading across her face.
Lucian just stared at her, feeling awkward. He had expected her to have a unique personality, but this was a little different than what he had imagined.
“So, would you like to apologize now?” Celestia asked, her tone playful but insistent. She wasn’t letting this go easily.
“Huh? Apologize for what?” Lucian scratched his head, genuinely confused.
“If you’re asking about taking first place and defeating you seven years ago… I’m sorry,” Lucian replied, thinking that might be the only reason she might want him to apologize. Experience more on empire
Celestia let out a long sigh. “No, not for that. Why would I? You’re really that dense, huh?”
Lucian blinked, even more confused. “Then… for what?”
“For not talking to me!” Celestia’s voice was tinged with frustration. “How many times did I try to at least talk to you? You knew it! You could have said something! I chased you for seven years, and you didn’t even accept my friend request!”
She clenched her fists. “I wanted to be friends with you, mr smart ass. I took you as my greatest rival. My goal was to connect with you, but you just ignored me. You crushed me in the rankings and didn’t say a word, just one sentence, and that’s it!”
Lucian opened his mouth, but Celestia cut him off.
“I want an apology, now.” She gritted her teeth, her tone serious. “Someone out there has been trying their hardest to get you to notice them, day and night, and you just keep ignoring them… What kind of person does that?”
Lucian’s gaze softened as he looked at Celestia, a faint, sad smile playing on his lips. It wasn’t the smile of someone who had everything figured out it was the smile of someone who had resigned himself to the reality he believed was inevitable. He sighed, running a hand through his hair, as if trying to steady his thoughts.
“I’m really sorry, you know,” Lucian began, his voice heavy with guilt and sincerity. “I knew you wanted to talk to me. I knew every time you tried to reach out, every time you made an effort… I noticed it all. I’ve respected you more than you probably realize.” He paused, his eyes drifting downwards.
He hesitated before continuing, his voice quieter now, as if confessing a secret he’d carried for years. “Every night, I’d check to see if I’d been hacked again, and every night, I saw that it was you persistently, determinedly, trying to crack through. For seven years.” He laughed bitterly, the sound hollow. “Seven years, Celestia. Honestly, seeing your name pop up every day… it made me happy. I admired you for it.”
Celestia’s fists clenched tightly at her sides. Her emotions were waging a battle inside her anger at his obliviousness, satisfaction at hearing he admired her, and something else, something tender that made her heart ache. Her jaw tightened, and she blinked quickly, trying to suppress the storm of emotions threatening to overtake her.
Lucian glanced at her but couldn’t hold her gaze for long. He looked away, almost ashamed. “You never gave up. You kept trying, even after failing so many times. I don’t think I could’ve done that. You’re… stronger than me, and I respect you for that. I admire you for that.”
“Then why?” Celestia’s voice was sharp, cutting through the quiet tension like a blade. She took a step closer, her eyes narrowing as she tried to keep her composure. “Why didn’t you let me in, Lucian? Why didn’t you ever respond? You knew. You knew, and you still” She stopped herself, her fists trembling, the weight of seven years of effort pressing down on her.
Lucian flinched at her words, the guilt etched into every line of his face. He exhaled slowly, closing his eyes as if gathering the courage to finally say the truth. “Because I was afraid.” His voice was barely above a whisper, but the raw emotion in it was impossible to miss.
“Afraid of what?” Celestia demanded, her voice breaking slightly despite her attempts to sound firm.
“Afraid that you’d see the real me and dissapointed at what you found,” Lucian admitted, finally meeting her gaze. His eyes were filled with vulnerability, something she had never seen in him before. “I’m not the person you admired, Celestia. I’m not the ideal you thought I was. I’m just… a disappointing fool who couldn’t even” His voice faltered, the words catching in his throat.
Celestia’s expression softened for a moment, a flicker of pain and understanding crossing her face. Then, her eyes hardened again, and she crossed her arms, taking a deep breath to steady herself. “You’re stupid, Lucian. I can confirm that.” Her voice was sharp, but it wasn’t cruel it was almost exasperated, tinged with a surprising warmth.
“But disappointed?” she continued, shaking her head. “No. You think so little of me if you believe I’d be disappointed because of something so ridiculous. You think I’d hate you because you fell for someone and got rejected and you trying again and again? Do you even know me at all?”
Lucian opened his mouth to respond, but no words came out. His face twisted in a mix of embarrassment and guilt, and he looked away, unable to meet her piercing gaze.
Celestia scoffed, rolling her eyes. “You really are stupid,” she muttered, but there was no venom in her words. She looked at him for a long moment, studying him, before her voice softened. “You should’ve trusted me, mr smart ass. I would’ve understood.”
“I’m sorry,” Lucian said quietly, his voice trembling. “I… I thought”
“Don’t.” Celestia cut him off, stepping closer. Her tone was firm but not unkind. “Don’t make assumptions about me. and i accept your apology
thanks Lucian said, his shoulders slumping as if a weight had been lifted,a smile relieved appearing on his face.
“And don’t do it again,” Celestia added, her eyes narrowing as she pointed a finger at him. “If you pull that ‘crap one more time, I swear you’ll regret it.”
Lucian blinked, startled by her bluntness, and then an awkward, small smile crept onto his face. “I’ll try,” he said, his voice carrying the faintest hint of relief.
“You better,” Celestia said, crossing her arms again. But this time, there was a hint of a smile on her lips, and her eyes weren’t as hard as they had been moments ago.
For the first time in a long while, Lucian felt a tiny spark of relieve this was one of his biggest secrets.
—–
sorry for being late guys… author is just too tired and sighh leave it
thanks for reading